


all we are (is dust in the wind)

by xavierurban



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Batfamily Angst (DCU), Character Death, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Infinity War (Marvel Comics), i mean it's not really but like... credit for the idea i guess, i stole that tag from someone but idk who so like... thanks op, inspired by the thanos snap, no beta we die like robins, quick write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:27:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22074736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xavierurban/pseuds/xavierurban
Summary: the spiderson/irondad infinity war scene... but make it batfam.There’s- Ash? In the air, and Bruce coughs to clear his throat, glances around quickly to try and locate the fire, to make sure they don’t need to move.“Akhi!”Damian’s shout has him turning back to his children, and his stomach drops at what he sees.He was wrong, it wasn’t ash. Or, if it was, it wasn’t from afire. Jason - his son, hischild- is disintegrating before his very eyes, and it’s-
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Jason Todd
Comments: 32
Kudos: 355





	all we are (is dust in the wind)

**Author's Note:**

> written for the following prompt by dracaryspowpow [on tumblr](https://atasteforsuicidal.tumblr.com/post/189875990064/dracaryspowpow-i-dont-know-where-this-came-from):  
>  _I don’t know where this came from but I can’t stop imagining the Infinity War “I don’t feel so good. I don’t wanna go. I’m so sorry Mr. Stark” scene with Jason and Bruce. Like how painful would that be? I don’t know-Tim frantically checking Jason’s vitals but finding nothing wrong but panic and Dick not knowing what to do when Jason just disintegrates in Bruce’s arms and Damian screaming ‘AKHIIIIIIIIIII’ or something?( I mean Jason would feel his death coming so he would want to stall as much time as possible i guess) I don’t know man it’s been in my head for the past 3 hours and I can’t write shit. So to the writers, can we please please have this? Thank you!_
> 
> title from dust in the wind by kansas. ~~bc i think i'm funny.~~
> 
> unbeta'd.

“B,” Jason calls, and there’s- There’s something there, in his voice, something that draws Bruce’s attention to him in an instant, makes him turn towards his second son.

“Hood,” he replies, steady-voiced despite the way every nerve along his spine seems to prickle, “Report.”

Jason’s hands fumble over the catch on his hood, slipping a few times before he manages to get it unlatched and pulled off; he lets it fall to the ground carelessly, and Bruce feels his eyebrows shoot up behind the cowl.

Something isn’t right, and he’s not the only one noticing; he can see Tim pulling up someone’s vitals on his wrist-computer, figures they must be Jason’s.

Jason stumbles, and Bruce swoops in to catch him, slowly lowers the both of them down to the ground when his son’s legs give out.

“B, I don’t-” He starts, shudders hard and makes a painfully uncharacteristic whining sound, “I don’t feel- Right.“

“Hey,” Bruce says, and his voice isn’t Batman so much as it is panicked father, “Hey, look at me. Tell me what’s wrong.”

_“Dad.”_

“I don’t understand,” Tim mutters, scrolling frantically through the holo-display, “His vitals are fine. Just- high cortisol and adrenaline.“

Which isn’t abnormal, after a fight like the one they just finished.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” he says again, and Jason’s eyes flash green behind the open lenses of his domino as he bites down hard on his tongue to abort a scream.

 _“Robin,”_ he snaps, gets a hand on Jason’s face and holds him in place so they can look at each other, “Report. Now.”

“I don’t know,” Jason chokes out, and he reaches out to grab Damian’s hand when his youngest brother approaches him, _“Dad, please.“_

There’s- Ash? In the air, and Bruce coughs to clear his throat, glances around quickly to try and locate the fire, to make sure they don’t need to move.

“Akhi!”

Damian’s shout has him turning back to his children, and his stomach drops at what he sees.

He was wrong, it wasn’t ash. Or, if it was, it wasn’t from a _fire_. Jason - his son, his _child -_ is disintegrating before his very eyes, and it’s-

It doesn’t make sense; they hadn’t even been fighting a meta, and Jason shows no indication of having been injured. Not that any simple wound could cause such a thing.

Then how?

There’s pressure on his arm, and he blinks, stares down to see Jason staring up at him, and-

He can’t recall the last time he saw Jason cry. It’s like a knife to his heart, and Bruce finds himself peeling back his cowl, a move that has Jason letting out another whine, the gravitas of the situation clear.

“Shh, Jaylad,” he murmurs, reaches out to card his fingers through his son’s hair as Dick drops down at his other side and fumbles through the different antidotes on his belt, as if he’s trying to find one that might be relevant.

“Hold on, Little Wing,” he mutters, and Jason shakes his head, reaches out to still Dick’s searching hands.

“It’s okay, Dick,” he gasps, and Dick shakes his head and pushes his hand away, goes back to searching.

“Don’t say that,” he snaps, and Jason lets out a huff that’s half-pain, half-amusement.

“Dad, I’m sorry,” Jason says, and, God, he’s disappearing before their _eyes_ , and Bruce isn’t ready for this, this isn’t a contingency he prepared for.

“No,” he growls, grabs the hand that’s still trying to paw at Dick even as his body continues to flake away, “Don’t you dare apologize, Jason. It’s okay, son. It’s all okay. I-”

The words stick in Bruce’s throat, and he hates himself. His son is dying before his very eyes, and he can’t get out one little four letter word. _Pathetic_.

Jason is weeping openly, and he squeezes Bruce’s hand.

“I know, Dad,” he says, “I know. Me too. I love you.”

Bruce doesn’t even realise his own eyes are wet until he feels a tear rolling down his cheek, and he drags Jason’s hand up to his mouth, kisses it again and again.

“I love you, Jay,” he finally says, and then his hands are empty, and Damian screams, reaches for what’s left of his brother only to end up grasping at wisps of ash and dust. Dick snarls from beside him, punches the ground and grinds his knuckles into it, and Tim is frozen in place a few feet away from them, the display of Jason’s vitals blanking out.

Bruce stares down at the space in his arms where his son had been seconds before, and lets himself weep.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [When all's said and done (and the dust settles)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22277287) by [B_August](https://archiveofourown.org/users/B_August/pseuds/B_August)




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